From the CIAO Atlas Map of Africa 

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Africa and U.S. National Interests

American Assembly at Columbia University

March 1997


Preface

Daniel A. Sharp
President, The American Assembly

On March 13, 1997, sixty-nine men and women representing government, business, academia, nongovernmental organizations, the law, international financial institutions, labor, the military, religion, and the media gathered at Arden House, Harriman, New York, for the Ninetieth American Assembly entitled "Africa and U.S. National Interests." For three days the participants examined issues arising out of the African continent, how they affect U.S. national interests in the present and future, and what policy the United States should follow. This Assembly was designed as a prelude to the National Summit on Africa, which begins this year with regional meetings and culminates with major national events in 1999.

This project is chaired by former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nation, Donald F. McHenry, now University Research Professor of Diplomacy & International Affairs, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University. It is directed by former Congressman Howard Wolpe, now at the Brookings Institution, who serves as special envoy for the Burundi peace negotiations on behalf of the president and secretary of state, and David C. Miller Jr., president of the Corporate Council on Africa and former ambassador to Zimbabwe and Tanzania under President Reagan. An expanded version of The background reading prepared by the co-directors with the assistance of David Gordon for the participants will be published as a monograph entitled Africa and U.S. National Interests.

During the Assembly, participants heard formal addresses by Benjamin A. Gilman, Chair, House Committee on International Relations, U.S. House of Representatives, and General James L. Jamerson, Deputy Commander-in-Chief, United States European Command. There was also a panel discussion on U.S. national interests and Africa, moderated by Don McHenry, which included Larry D. Bailey, Partner-in-Charge, Africa Desk, Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P., Gay J. McDougall, Executive Director, International Human Rights Law Group, Jeffrey Lang, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative, and Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson, IV, International Affairs Advisor, Headquarters U.S. European Command, as panelists.

Following their discussions, the participants issued this report on March 16, 1997. It contains both their findings and recommendations.

The text of this report is available on The American Assembly's home page on the World Wide Web (http://www.columbia.edu/cu/amassembly/), along with information about the principal speakers at this Assembly, and about other Assembly programs.

We gratefully acknowledge major funding support for this program by Carnegie Corporation of New York, with important support of The Ford Foundation and additional contributions by the Rockefeller Foundation, International Paper, and Maurice Tempelsman.

The American Assembly takes no position on any subjects presented here for public discussion. In addition, it should be noted that the participants took part in this meeting as individuals and spoke for themselves rather than for the organizations and institutions with which they are affiliated.

We would like to express special appreciation for the fine work of the discussion leaders and rapporteurs in helping to prepare the first draft of this report: Pauline Baker, Salih Booker, Herman J. Cohen, MacArthur DeShazer, David F. Gordon, and Cherri D. Waters.